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Monday, February 29, 2016

Our whānau has just returned from a four-day camp for those who unschool or practice natural/child-led learning. Held at Foxton Beach Boys Brigade, it was a great space and an amazingly inspiring time. Best of all, it confirmed for me that exploring the possibility of unschooling could be the right choice for our children (or should I say, they have made the right choice themselves!)

We've been investigating/doing unschooling with our six year-old for a year now, but really the last year has been a continuation of our parenting style/philosophy and the holistic approach that we learned through Playcentre. In a wiki nutshell unschooling is:

an educational method and philosophy that advocates learner-chosen
activities as a primary means for learning. Unschooling students learn through their natural life experiences including play, household responsibilities, personal interests and curiosity, internships and work experience, travel, books, elective classes, family, mentors, and social interaction. Unschooling encourages exploration of activities initiated by the children themselves, believing that the more personal learning is, the more meaningful, well-understood and therefore useful it is to the child

Like the idea of anarchism, this does not mean no rules, structure or organisation—far from it! We've actively developed an educational practice to suit our eldest child that we constantly document and review. But it does mean not going to school, which for many is a radical concept. (I'm also aware that for many people, having one adult not engaged in waged labour is either impossible or too much of a struggle. We as a family may have little money on a single income, but we are privileged enough to be able to make it happen).

But as the camp demonstrated to me, the kids and adults were loving the unschooling approach. 'Free' is the word that springs to mind—not in the hippy-happy-joy-joy sense, but in terms of autonomy, independence, self-determined.

Around 200 people from across Te Ika-a-Māui/the North Island came and went over the course of the camp, which included co-operative dinners, the odd activity, and lots of play—in the bush, in the sand, at night, in the hall, at the chess table, in the tents, cabins and grass. Lots of noise and lots of fun! And it meant some well-needed downtime for parents.

A market and child-led concert showed that unschooled kids are social, confident and talented (this is obviously something I needed assurance on, as the question I inevitably get asked is how social unschooled children are). Poetry, performance, guitar, dance, jokes — it really was inspiring to see children free to be themselves; to create, to sing and to collaborate.

I was amazed at the huge amount of respect the children had for each other, and the respect adults had for children as people. From teens to toddlers, their interactions were based in a way of being grounded in reciprocity and respect.

Linked to this was the fact that the camp was a co-creation space, which meant that it was organised and run collectively (while allowing space for those who couldn't or didn't want to participate). As the website notes, 'this
encourages trust, openness, flexibility, ease and self-responsibility.' Which is apt, considering what I'm reading at the moment:

Commoning is primary to human life. Scholars used to write of “primitive communism.” “The primary commons” renders the experience more clearly. Scarcely a society has existed on the face of the earth which has not had at its heart the commons; the commodity with its individualism and privatization was strictly confined to the margins of the community where severe regulations punished violators...

Capital derides commoning by ideological uses of philosophy, logic, and economics which say the commons is impossible or tragic. The figures of speech in these arguments depend on fantasies of destruction—the desert, the life-boat, the prison. They always assume as axiomatic that concept expressive of capital’s bid for eternity, the ahistorical “Human Nature.”

Of course it's far-fetched to claim that this camp was perfectly pre-figuring some kind of post-capitalist society. It was not without its faults and complexities (I would have liked a little more acknowledgment of the tangata whenua of that place, and/or pōwhiri). But as a first-time attendee with much to learn, I've come away feeling inspired, and with a connection to others who have similar values and approaches to education. Bring on the autumn camp!

Many thanks to the behind-the-scenes organisers, the parents who made us feel welcome, and of course, the kids.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

The Report of Matiki Mai Aotearoa: Independent Working Group on Constitutional Transformation has just been released. Convened by Moana Jackson and chaired by Margaret Mutu, extensive consultation across the country was undertaken between 2012-2015 and included 252 hui, written submissions, organised focus groups and one-to-one interviews.

The Terms of Reference sought advice on types of constitutionalism that is based upon He Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti.

“To develop and implement a model for an inclusive Constitution for Aotearoa based on tikanga and kawa, He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Niu Tireni of 1835, Te Tiriti o Waitangi of 1840, and other indigenous human rights instruments which enjoy a wide degree of international recognition”. The Terms of Reference did not ask the Working Group to consider such questions as “How might the Treaty fit within the current Westminster constitutional system” but rather required it to seek advice on a different type of constitutionalism that is based upon He Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti. For that reason this Report uses the term “constitutional transformation” rather than “constitutional change.”

It really is an amazing document, both for its simple language and what it could mean for future indigenous-settler/Māori-Pākehā relations.

Monday, February 1, 2016

Sewing Freedom: Philip Josephs, Transnationalism & Early New Zealand Anarchism is the first
in-depth study of anarchism in New Zealand during the turbulent years of
the early 20th century—a time of wildcat strikes, industrial warfare
and a radical working class counter-culture. Interweaving biography,
cultural history and an array of archival sources, this engaging account
unravels the anarchist-cum-bomber stereotype by piecing together the
life of Philip Josephs—a Latvian-born Jewish tailor, anti-militarist and
founder of the Wellington Freedom Group. Anarchists like Josephs not
only existed in the ‘Workingman’s Paradise’ that was New Zealand, but
were a lively part of its labour movement and the class struggle that
swept through the country, imparting uncredited influence and ideas. Sewing Freedom
places this neglected movement within the global anarchist upsurge, and
unearths the colourful activities of New Zealand’s most radical
advocates for social and economic change.

Endorsments

“Filling a much-needed gap, Sewing Freedom deserves a treasured place within the pantheon of serious studies of the origins of the far left in New Zealand.” - David Grant, New Zealand Books Quarterly Review

“Jared Davidson has produced much more than a soundly researched and
very engaging biography of ‘the most prominent anarchist in New
Zealand’. This is an excellent, wide-ranging contribution to our
knowledge of the international (and indeed transnational) anarchist
movement, and sweeps us along in a fascinating story that takes us from
the pogroms in Russian Latvia, to the working-class slums of Victorian
Glasgow, to the early struggles of the nascent labour movement in New
Zealand.” - Dr David Berry, author of The History of the French Anarchist Movement

“This is a fine book that sheds another clear beam of light on the
complex puzzle that is anarchist history. Meticulously researched,
sometimes following barely perceivable trails, thoughtful and incisive,
it presents us with an, as yet, uncharted anarchist history in a
controlled and engaging way. Like all good history it leaves us with
much to think about; and like all good anarchist history it encourages
us to consider how we read, interrogate, and assess the long and,
sometimes, confusing journey towards anarchy.” -Barry Pateman, Kate Sharpley Library archivist & Associate Editor of The Emma Goldman Papers

“Many millions of words have been written on New Zealand history. The
labour movement does not feature prominently in this vast corpus; in
fact, quite the contrary. And within this relatively sparse coverage,
anarchism is almost invariably assigned at best a passing mention. We
must be grateful for Davidson’s determination to restore an anarchist
voice to the history of the outermost reach of the British Empire. In
piecing together the life and beliefs of Philip Josephs, often from the
most fragmentary of surviving evidence, Davidson helps us situate
anarchist beliefs and activities within broader international socialist
currents. By focusing on a significant individual and his tireless
advocacy in several countries, he indicates how such belief systems
transcended national boundaries, not only in the restless lives of
theoreticians and practitioners, but also –and most important of all –in
their universalist message.” - Dr Richard Hill, Professor of New Zealand Studies at Victoria University of Wellington & author of Iron Hand in the Velvet Glove: The Modernisation of Policing in New Zealand 1886-1917

“Jared Davidson has written a ripping narrative, extensively and
thoroughly researched, with a flair and flavour that takes the reader
into the backrooms of the radical movements of anarchism in its early
days in New Zealand. I am delighted with this work of history which
involved my own grandfather so closely.” - Dr Caroline Josephs, artist/writer/storyteller and granddaughter of Philip Josephs, Sydney

“Sewing Freedom works on several levels. It is a meticulous
biography, a portrait of an era, a sophisticated discussion of anarchist
philosophy and activism, and an evocation of radical lives and ideas in
their context. Davidson has designed a fresh, crisp book with visual
impact, nicely enhanced by Alec Icky Dunn’s wonderful sketches of key
places in this history: working class backyards, a miner’s hall and
striking workers under attack by the forces of the state. This
beautifully-executed book tells an important story in New Zealand’s
political history.” - Chris Brickell, Associate Professor of Gender Studies at Otago University and author of Mates and Lovers